Do Hard Things

The phrase: "You don't know what you have until it's gone" strongly comes to my mind when I ponder the recent devastating events. My heart aches to know that I may never return to Liberia which has become my home full of my family.

I had only been with my new companion Elder Bates for a couple days when early  on Wednesday morning during personal study, I received these horrifying words, "Pack your bags. All the missionaries are leaving Liberia. Don't tell ANYONE!"

Immediately I told the Elders in my apartment and not long after, we were picked up by a senior missionary who drove us to a very nice and expensive hotel right by the airport. We ate nice expensive food, slept on nice expensive beds, and took nice expensive showers. I felt like a fish out of water! It reminded me of when Tarzan had a culture change  and visited the city!

Fortunately I was able to see President Price one more time before we were scattered across Africa but since then... I haven't been able to see him. On Thursday morning we all got on a plane to our various temporary assignments. I was assigned to the Ghana Accra West mission with my friend and TC Elder Pluim and 7 other American Liberia missionaries. After a long day of immigration and shots, we finally met our new President, President Sanders. We were taken from the MTC to the mission home in Accra where we ate dinner, talked, and slept.

President Sanders gave us orientation the next morning (Friday) about malaria and theft prevention. I thought it was funny considering the fact that we JUST came from Liberia where malaria and theft is much worse than anywhere else. We were being trained as if we hadn't just spent 19 months in a country much harder than Ghana and it was humiliating!

President Sanders said he is happy we are in Ghana because apparently the baptism numbers are worse in his mission. Also they have a temple in Ghana and yet there is way more Liberians visiting their temple! He wants us to strengthen the members in Ghana and get them to the temple. 

Well I got my new companion, Elder Williams from Pocatello, Idaho. He just finished training Elder Bryant from Nevada and when we came to Ghana... They split the area of Adeiso and put me with Elder Williams and put Elder Bryant with Elder Pluim. THANK GOD I'M NOT ALONE DURING THIS HORRIBLE TRIAL! Elder Pluim is my best friend and it is a tender mercy that we were called to Liberia together... Called to Kakata together... Called to Ghana Accra West together... And called to Adeiso together. It's clear to me God has blessed me with a guardian angel of sorts.

Ghana is NOT a 3rd world country. Liberia is WAY less developed than this country. They have paved roads, nice cars, gas stations WITH gas, and employment for everyone. President Sanders said I was going to the bush but I'm here and it is nicer than central Monrovia ever was Kakata was bush... This is a cupcake mission. Everyone has washing machines.

Only problem is... NOBODY SPEAKS ENGLISH ONLY TWI!!! Why is this an English mission? My companion has been here for 13 months and still can't teach lessons because NOBODY speaks or understands English! At sacrament meeting I fell asleep because it was literally Twi! Kalokwa was hard to understand at first but it was still English! This is absolutely horrible because all my jokes... Gone. All my teaching skills... Gone. I guess I could learn Twi but I'm only going to be here for at least 5 months!

After my first day of Twi and the thought of never ever returning to Liberia, I was very overwhelmed and couldn't believe was has happened. Just a couple days ago I was in a nice area, with a nice companion, with a speak-able and understandable language but now... I feel like a naked dog with no legs being pulled by a rope in the middle of the Ghanaian dessert.

I decided to call my REAL mission president, President Price who is in Accra Ghana running the Liberia mission from the area office. Hearing his voice made me so emotional because I missed him so much and it felt like everything important was taken from me. He assured me that there are NO mistakes in the Lord's work. Everything happens for a reason. The Lord works in mysterious ways and sometimes He will shut down an entire mission JUST to save one soul in the boundaries of another. As much as I want to give up and go home, President pleaded with me to stay strong because as soon as Liberia opens again... The Lord will need me and for that.. I can't give up. Not after all I've been through.

My mission has kicked me in the butt many times but this one is the biggest most painful trial I have ever faced. I am supposed to forget about Liberia and put my heart in Ghana where they don't even speak my language. Nevertheless, I am reminded of the Savior's promise... "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world"

Usually in difficult and trying times.. I have my "go to" examples to follow like my dad, my brother, my zone leaders, and others but this trial is different... It's a trial I have never heard of before. Therefore, I have only the Savior Jesus Christ to follow. He has suffered all things and more for this very reason. He can now comfort me, succor me, heal me, and give me reason for my journey. I am not only a disciple of Him but I am an ordained representative of Him which allows me to obtain His help whenever I need it. Perhaps I am only being prepared for something much harder.

I WILL finish my mission no matter how sick or afflicted I become. Not because of my strength but because of the Lord's. How will I manage to tell my nephews, sons, cousins, and grandchildren to endure to the end if I never could. When finishing my first hard day in Ghana I pulled out a random t-shirt from my suitcase which said, "Do Hard Things." Because I was so mad and annoyed, I chunked it on the ground and grabbed another but now that I am more calm... I realize the Lord is trying to remind me what my personal mission slogan has always been.. DO HARD THINGS!

Thank you for all your love and support!

Sincerely,
Elder Hallenberger

Here is a video of the gas lines in Monrovia, Liberia taken by Pres and Sis. Price. 

The Greatest Miracle

Dear family and friends,

The mission has reduced from 41 apartments to 17. From 7 zones to now only 4. Elder Bates and I are the current ZL's for the Paynesville zone. We are working hard to keep everyone positive, diligent, and obedient during these difficult times. If the country can't get better by March... I and my MTC group will be going home early because we simply can't stay crammed like this for too long. Things have been CRAZY over here but I'll try to sum it up and let you know where I am at... (Miracle is at the bottom)

After Elder Gababoi left early to attend a family matter, they sent me my zone leader Elder Baker from Arizona. I had been given 5 days to show him the area until I left to my new assignment as zone leader in Caldwell with Elder Bates from Utah. Well, we received a call that because of the country's economic circumstances, the mission would be reducing its missionaries by sending 3 groups home and reassigning the incoming elders. I'm not going into details but the previously assigned transfers were postponed until President could do what SLC asked him to which was to bring in all bush missionaries into Monrovia and Paynesville.

Our 2 man area instantly became a 6 man area as we welcomed the incoming Kakata missionaries. Elder Dela Cruiz(Philippines), Elder Balbosa(Philippines), Elder KraKra(South Africa), and Elder Segromotso(South Africa) came to be with me and Elder Baker. After showing them the entire area.... we learned that MOST OF THE WERE LEAVING ANYWAYS! UGH! During all this commotion... we had 2 baptisms to accomplish. Debra and Johanna's baptism was scheduled for the 5th of February. Literally the ONLY day we could do it because I was leaving early the next day. Well while waiting for the baptism, Johanna called saying in tears that her mom wouldn't let her leave the house. So we had to continue with just Debra...

Johanna had been taught for the past few years and she loved the Gospel but her mother, who lived in the States decided that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was bad. Out of respect for the mother, we never baptized Johanna. Well with all the changes in the mission, I was worried there would be an evacuation causing all the missionaries to leave Liberia just like what had happened not long ago during the Ebola crisis. This would cause Johanna's baptism to be in the hands of the members which would not work in our branch. We also realized she was 21 years old and didn't need parental permission. This is why we rushed a baptism for her but it went wrong when her mom noticed her leaving and chastised her. I was honestly heartbroken because Johanna would never see me again and I felt responsible for her and her mother's contention. Fortunately, the mother had a change of heart and miraculously allowed Johanna to come on Friday morning and be baptized. I was just about to be picked up for my transfer but Johanna insisted that I was the one to baptize her so I called the mission driver requesting him to procrastinate or pick up other missionaries first which he did allowing me to perform the baptism, change, and literally go from the church to the car which took me to my new area in Central Paynesville.  This was a miracle and I am so happy for sisters Debra and Johanna for their dedication to enter the covenant path.

I am now in my new area in Paynesville. I live in a small apartment with 6 elders! 2 of them being massive islanders. Elder Bates is my companion and we are living with Elder A'ho from Tonga and Elder Robbins (Our District leader) from Montana. We also live with Elder Kirifi, a Polynesian from Australia and his companion who is in his training, Elder Jenkins from Utah. They are all super awesome and we are lucky to be with such cool elders. Obviously, things are tight right now. My companion and I live in a small storage room that is no bigger than my parent's closet. We are sleeping on the floor and have two windows with bars on both the outside and inside. We always make jokes saying we are in solitary confinement haha! Regardless of the difficult circumstances, we are making the best of it. I have found that the best way to unify the apartment is to cook, eat, and clean together! So far it has worked well!

THE MIRACLE:

I have one more miracle to speak of... This time last year I was serving in this Paynesville stake. Yesterday I was pleased to see a lot of my recent converts at church staying strong! In fact, 2 of them have left for missions and one of them has married another one of my recent converts from all the way in Kakata!!! I was sitting in sacrament meeting looking at this girl and I was positive it was Abigail from Kakata but I wasn't expecting to see her all the way in Paynesville. She was also wearing a very nice beautiful dress which didn't exactly match her "living in a bush dirt house" style. After service I shook her hand and she instantly recognized me and gave me a big hug! "Elder Hallenberger!" She yelled "I am married!" Haha I was so excited because that was exactly the assignment I had given her before I had left Kakata. She was living alone with a small girl who needed a father so I gave her a challenge to find a kind priesthood holder who could bless her and her child. She did just that! And guess what!? The priesthood holder was my recent convert who I had baptized and ordained!! This wasn't the only miracle, many of my recent converts had strong callings and didn't need missionaries to hold their hands in church anymore! One of them is a teacher for the young women and I just absolutely was filled with joy seeing her teach a group of young girls.

I don't know what will happen to me in March but let me tell you... After witnessing such miracles on Sunday, I feel comfort knowing my people are staying strong and I have done my part:)

I love you all!

Sincerely, Elder Hallenberger